Pieces of you

Think back for a moment to the time before you became a parent. Way back to the days when you projected into your future and imagined the joys to one day be realized with your as-yet-unborn children. Maybe you hoped they would have your own mother’s blue eyes or that they would be dealt a more generous serving of height than you yourself had been.

Now, from your vantage point as an experienced parent (whatever that means), which characteristics do you most hope your children will have inherited. Has it changed?

If you’re like me, maybe you’ve started to consider the attributes beyond physical characteristics which you hope your children have acquired. I’m talking about traits which will ultimately prove to be more critical to their future success than the color of their hair or the ability to touch their tongue to their nose. You know, important stuff.

Which of your own personality traits do you wish for your children to inherit? What do you hope they avoid perpetuating? Let me start…

I hope my boys will have a work ethic similar to the one both of their parents possess.

I would be incredibly satisfied to know they have the ability to always see a shimmer of light even in the darkest of times.

I hope they have the capacity to foster long term friendships and connections to their family.

If they could enjoy those characteristics* yet not carry on my tendency to be overly critical or to get overwhelmed by household repairs, they truly will erase any latent disappointment I have that not a single one of them inherited my red hair.